Hi Everyone,
Though I’d ask your advice as am in a bit of a quandry. I’m a beginner travel writer, having done it entirely for the love of it and amusement of friends so far, and travel relatively little compared to anyone doing a round-the-world trip or living in another country for years (although aspire to travel more). I’m hoping to start my own travel blog in the near future, and that’s where I need your help. I write (and want to keep writing) longish narrative style travelogues rather than guidebook-style features or travel tips or similar. The principal aim is to get better at writing, amuse more people than just my friends, and hopefully inspire potential traveller in an indirect way – and although I obviously wouldn’t say no to being paid for my efforts, I realise just how near impossible it is and also have a 9-5 job which I’ve no intention of giving up – so earning is not a goal at this stage.
The question is, do folks bother keeping travel blogs for similar purposes, or is a travel blog something that is potentially meant for ‘quick digestion’ travel banter, i.e. the said and despised tips on “why a passport might be handy for international travel”? I’m aware that any writing is obviously done differently for web than for print, and what I’ve written so far is more long and thorough rather than short and snappy. Having looked through a lot of existing blogs, I notice that most authors tend to keep their “serious” writing elsewhere (presumably, for the potential or existing glories of being printed) and primarily use the blog for marketing, rants or light stuff. As I would like to grow as a writer, is starting with a blog defeating this purpose – and should I aim to squirrel away everything I write and work on being published in print, instead?
Any advice, musings, related tales of joy and woe much appreciated.